Episode 1976 (18 July 2000)
Synopsis Beppe tells Rosa that they'll have to tell the police. Nicky eavesdrops. They all have a long discussion, and Nicky goes to a payphone to phone the police. Their solicitor advises Rosa to drop the charges. Robbie asks Jamie how his date with the fittest bird in Walford went, and Jamie says it was OK. Lisa asks Steve if he's jewellery shopping, and says she thinks the earrings were lovely, and Ian never bought Mel presents unless they were investments for him, and Mel learnt her lesson not to go out with a man who prefers money to romance. Steve smiles. Ian bumps into Lisa and she tells him he doesn't own the road, you know. Ian is irritated. Mel persuades Lisa to come shopping and she tells Jamie to cover for her. Phil asks Jamie where Lisa is and he tells Phil that she bunked off for a couple of hours, and Ian eavesdrops. Terry is annoyed by some rubbish dumped outside the shop by one of the stallholders. He asks Jamie and Mark where Lisa is, and when told that she's off shopping, but not to tell anyone, he asks them to tell her to see him as soon as she gets back. Lisa's new manager has a Health & Safety rep around to inspect them, and looks everywhere for Lisa. Mark and Jamie say she is around somewhere. Phil sees Steve selling the health club, and says he doesn't waste much time does he? Steve goes to tell Ian to meet him in the club for a business proposition. Steve asks him if he'd like to make £10,000 in a very short space of time. He gets the cash out of the safe. Ian looks at it and Steve hands him the contract and says just one signature. The manager is looking around the back of the market and Ian asks if he can help. The man asks about Lisa and Ian says she's usually in the Vic, but today she's gone off shopping with her friend, and she doesn't inspect much all day. The man goes to the Vic and Peggy assures him Lisa will be in later. Frank frowns at her as he was trying to be discreet and has realised that the man in the cheap nasty suit isn't going to be a friend of Lisa's. Robbie and Jamie get stitched up by Asif, and the dodgy washing machines are delivered to them in the middle of the square. Jamie is furious when he also has to pay the driver. Jeff cooks Pauline an exotic meal and mentions his wife leaving him and then apologises as it's a sensitive subject. Pauline asks what he means, and he says Arthur..... Pauline gets up and leaves the house immediately. Jeff follows her and apologises. Pauline tells Jeff it just got to her, even after all these years. Pauline says Christine Hewitt was probably just like she is now - a widow alone. Lisa arrives back all dressed up in the Vic and it's very busy for the cocktail evening. Peggy drinks all the different cocktails and sits around ordering people about, and Frank is furious as he's rushed off his feet. Phil whinges to Lisa that Steve is selling the club for £40,000, after buying half of it for only £10,000. Lisa's boss arrives again and tells her he's been looking for her all day. She asks to talk to him tomorrow. Phil interrupts and asks who he is. He says he's her new boss, and takes Lisa away for a quiet word, saying that she will get a written warning for her poor attendance record. Phil says the only other time she was off sick was because she lost a baby, and the man laughs and asks if she was really shopping. Phil grabs him by the lapels and tells him that Lisa quits. Lisa is furious with Phil and wails "Mr Johnson..." Mel is rushed off her feet and Steve follows her to the back of the Vic and says he has something really important to ask her, and says he didn't plan to do it quite like this, but - "Will you marry me?" She just laughs. She reminds him she's still married to Ian, and he produces the divorce papers from his pocket, and hands them over. She says he HAS been busy, and he then produces another paper - the wedding booking for the registry office on the 1st March - the earliest possible date. Mel laughs and says he's joking, and looks at him and realises he's totally serious. He says she looks wonderful in white, and all she has to do is turn up. Credits Main cast *Tamzin Outhwaite as Melanie *Martin Kemp as Steve *Lucy Benjamin as Lisa *Steve McFadden as Phil *Barbara Windsor as Peggy *Mike Reid as Frank *Wendy Richard as Pauline *Leslie Schofield as Jeff *Carly Hillman as Nicky *Louise Jameson as Rosa *Michael Greco as Beppe *Marc Bannerman as Gianni *James Alexandrou as Martin *Adam Woodyatt as Ian *Hannah Waterman as Laura *Charlie Brooks as Janine *Jack Ryder as Jamie *Dean Gaffney as Robbie *Todd Carty as Mark *Shaun Williamson as Barry *Tony Caunter as Roy *John Bardon as Jim *Perry Fenwick as Billy *Gavin Richards as Terry *Simon Coury as Angelo *Michael Bertenshaw as Johnson *Stefan Weclawek as Woody *Ulric Browne as Winston Category:Episode Category:2000 Episodes